Check semula NST pada muka surat 2, tarikh antara 7-11 Julai, Mahathir kata tindakan Al-Ma'unah bunuh seorang Iban dan India secara sengaja.... Check UM & lain2 media juga pada tarikh yang sama. Bukti kukuh Mahathir kelentong.... Cepat.... Fathi

MATHEW'S DEATH NOT BECAUSE OF HIS RACE OR RELIGION, SAYS ZAINI

NANGA TADA (Kanowit), 27 July (Bernama) -- Army Field Commander Lt Jen Datuk Seri Zaini Mohammed Said Thursday reiterated that commando Mathew anak Medan, 25, was killed not because he was a non-Muslim and a non-Malay.

Mathew just happened to be a member of an elite force despatched with others to do their job to try to get the Al-Ma'Unah deviationist group members holed up in Bukit Jenalik, Sauk, in Perak, to surrender peacefully, Zaini said.

"I certaintly do not agree with any suggestion or insinuation that he and a police detective, Sjn S.Sagadevan, were killed because of their respective race and religion." he said when visiting Mathew's family at their longhouse, Rh.Meruan, here.

"The leader of the group, Amin Mohamed Razali, too had wanted and had tried to kill me, a fellow Muslim and a high ranking army officer," he said.

Another hostage, a Muslim and a Malay, had been asked to dig a hole meant to be his own grave but fortunately he was not killed by the group, he added.

Reading out a prepared text in the Iban language, Zaini was at times overcome by emotion which evoked tears from the late Mathew's mother, Lundun anak Ngumbang, 57 and a few other relatives.

He apealed to the Iban community not to treat the incident as a case of hatred perpetrated by Muslims who are Malays from peninsular Malaysia on non-Muslim and non-Malays.

"The group is just a small bunch of robbers and murderers, misled by their leader who is a psycopath," he said.

Zaini said the soldiers taking part in the operation to force the group to surrender on the afternoon of July 6 could have easily killed all of them.

"I was there personally and was directly involved. I could have just given the order for my commandos to go all out after them.

"However, we needed to capture them alive so that we could elicit vital information from them later for examples on the movement itself, its strength, objectives, its members and support base. We also had our orders to follow.

He said the government had learnt from them that the movement had about 1,700 members throughout the country.

He asked Methew's family members and relatives to be patient, saying that it was a matter of time before all those responsible for the arms heist at the Grik military camps and the brutal killing of Mathew and Sagadevan received their punishment from the court.

Mathew had not died in vain but had died defending the country, he said.

"He is a 'Bujang Berani (brave warrior in Iban) and the army is sad to have lost its Bujang Berani."

Zaini, who was accompanied by Commander of the 9th Brigade Brig Jen Hon Mun Long and the Commanding Officer of the 22 Commando Regiment Lt Col Christopher Damien Dilang, also visited Mathew's grave in his family pepper garden about 2km for the longhouse.

- BERNAMA

NST Highlights: PM: People must know the truth about Sauk incident

KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Barisan Nasional component parties are going to the people to explain that the killing of a policeman and a soldier in Sauk by members of the Al-Ma'unah group was not a case of hatred against non-Muslims.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he explained to coalition members that the torture and murder of detective sergeant R. Sagadevan and army ranger Mathew anak Medan were purely a criminal act.

The Prime Minister said it was important that members were made aware of what had happened so that they could explain the truth to the rakyat to avoid any misunderstanding that the killings were done in the name of Islam.

"For example, some quarters in Sarawak are angry that an Iban (Mathew) has been killed by Muslims.

"We explained that this was not a case of Muslims attacking an Iban but a criminal act committed by a group of people not supported by the Government and other people," he said, adding that Islam itself did not permit such an act.

Speaking after chairing a BN supreme council meeting at Menara Dato' Onn, the first to be held after the Sauk incident, Dr Mahathir agreed that there were some misunderstandings among non-Muslims on the incident.

"We also realised that that there are Muslims trying to defend the act, giving various reasons, but this is not a case of Muslims going after non-Muslims."

Barisan Nasional comprises 14 political parties. They are peninsula-based Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and People's Progressive Party; Sarawak-based Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak, Sarawak National Party and Sarawak United People's Party; and Sabah-based United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Organisation, Sabah Progressive Party, Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and Liberal Democratic Party.

Among party leaders present were Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas, PBDS president Datuk Leo Moggie and BN secretary-general Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat.

Dr Mahathir said the meeting also discussed the effect of the hate campaign against the Government advocated by the Opposition.

"It has reached a very dangerous level that there are now people willing to act before determining whether allegations against the Government are true or not ... they act out of their hatred and anger."

Dr Mahathir said the importance of enhancing unity and strengthening relations in a multi-racial society was also discussed.

The meeting agreed that the practice of open house during the various festivities should be continued as it could help foster better understanding among the people.

The Prime Minister said party leaders also expressed their concern over the trend at kindergartens where children were taught to hate the Government.

Asked about integration among students at universities, Dr Mahathir said it worried the BN because students of different races were not interacting and the Government was doing its best to overcome the problem.

"We have already asked local universities to have students of different races sharing rooms," he said.

Later, Mohamed said Dr Mahathir's lengthy explanation on the incident was necessary to clear any misconception that Muslims were killing non-Muslims.

He said the hostage-taking incident became an issue as out of the four hostages taken captive, only the two non-Muslims among them were killed.

"This is a very critical issue ... religious strife can be more dangerous than racial strife, so it must be avoided."

Berita Nasional: Peristiwa di Sauk bukan soal anti bukan Islam: PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Selasa – Peristiwa Sauk harus dilihat sebagai perbuatan jenayah oleh satu kumpulan yang tidak disokong kerajaan atau orang Islam lain, kata Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Perdana Menteri menegaskan, kejadian itu adalah perbuatan jenayah oleh kumpulan Al-Ma’unah dan tidak harus dilihat sebagai pembunuhan terhadap orang bukan Islam.

“Sesetengah orang di Sarawak marah kerana orang Iban dibunuh oleh orang Islam dan kita terangkan bahawa ini bukan soal Islam menyerang orang Iban tetapi perbuatan jenayah oleh satu kumpulan yang tidak disokong kerajaan ataupun orang Islam lain.

“Kita perlu menjelaskan kepada rakyat semua bahawa ini bukanlah soal orang Islam menjadi anti orang bukan Islam,” katanya selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Dewan Tertinggi Barisan Nasional (BN) di sini, hari ini.

Pada 2 Julai lalu, sekumpulan 15 lelaki menyamar dan lengkap berpakaian celoreng tentera yang kemudian dikenal pasti sebagai ahli kumpulan Al-Ma’unah melarikan pelbagai jenis senjata api dari pos tentera dan Kem Batalion 304 Askar Wataniah di Grik sebelum berkubu di Sauk.

Kumpulan itu juga membunuh Sarjan Detektif Sagadevan, anggota polis Cawangan Khas Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Kuala Kangsar dan Prebet Matthew anak Medan, komando dari Kem Terendak, Melaka yang dijadikan tebusan.

Dr Mahathir yang juga Pengerusi BN berkata, beliau dan timbalannya Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi memberikan penjelasan terperinci mengenai peristiwa Sauk di mesyuarat itu bagi mengelak salah faham bahawa kejadian itu perbuatan berasaskan ajaran Islam.

Katanya, parti komponen akan turut memberi penjelasan kepada anggota parti serta rakyat mengenai peristiwa Sauk kerana salah faham mengenai kejadian itu sedikit sebanyak menimbulkan kekeliruan dan kemarahan rakyat.

“Kita sendiri tidak bersetuju dengan tindakan ini, kita tidak sokong mereka dan kita percaya bahawa Islam tidak menyuruh kita melakukan penindasan ke atas bukan Islam,” katanya.

Dr Mahathir berkata, wakil parti komponen turut membangkitkan beberapa soalan berhubung peristiwa itu dan mereka berpuas hati dengan penjelasan yang diberikan serta berjanji memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya kepada kerajaan untuk menangani masalah itu.

Beliau menegaskan, peristiwa itu tidak mengugat hubungan antara parti-parti komponen BN. Mereka cuma ingin tahu apa sebenarnya berlaku supaya dapat meredakan perasaan marah serta keliru di kalangan rakyat.

Ditanya sejauh mana peristiwa Sauk memberi kesan kepada rakyat, Perdana Menteri berkata ia sedikit sebanyak menimbulkan salah faham di kalangan orang bukan Islam.

“Tetapi kita jelaskan, ini bukanlah satu tindakan yang disokong oleh kerajaan walaupun kita sedar ada orang Islam tertentu yang cuba mempertahankan perbuatan ini dengan memberi pelbagai alasan,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun katanya, parti pembangkang cuba mengambil kesempatan terhadap isu itu dalam usaha memecahbelahkan BN.

Malaysia: A lesson on race relations

Latest [Updated : MYT 12:22 pm] The Star online 27 July, 2000

One of Malaysia's historical achievements is its handling of race relations among the country's multi ethnic communities, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

He said the Barisan Nasional government's approach in handling race relations had curbed racist sentiments from developing and disturbing the peace and harmony in Malaysia.

''It is something that the people of Malaysia should know and learn about.

''But the fear that such a story might favour the current Barisan government and party has resulted in these achievements not being played up as part of Malaysia's historical heritage,'' the Prime Minister said when launching the 16th conference of the International Association of Historians Asia in Kota Kinabalu Thursday.

He said there was, therefore, a danger that another lesson of history may be lost.

''This is a lesson that can teach not only Malaysians but others as well about the conduct of government, the behaviour of politicians and the discipline required in a democracy in order to prevent a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-racial country from going up in flames and destroying itself,'' Dr Mahathir added.

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